The invention concerns a heated conveyor and a process for disinfecting contaminated size-reduced hospital refuse. A familiar conveyor of this kind consists of 2 conveyor screws contrarotating in 2 open half shells, the walls of the half shells being heated with heat transfer oil. The twin screw conveyors are arranged inside a housing provided with an inlet opening, an outlet opening and an air vent (German Utility Model 87 02 503) The use of screw conveyors has proved to be disadvantageous in operation inasmuchas the throughput capacity of such disinfecting facilities does not come up to expectations. The material to be disinfected is displaced laterally by the rotating movement of the spirals, causing piling-up and rendering the contact surfaces of the heated walls of the half shells ineffective. Adequate disinfection can only be maintained if the transport velocity is kept so low that a sufficiently short period of dwell can be obtained. Furthermore, the use of heat transfer oil to heat the conveyor raises environmental issues, be it the problem of the disposal of waste oil, leakages or the formation of noxious vapours during overheating.